Elderly man declared dead at hospital after ambulance failure leads to 12-minute delay

Relatives of an elderly man who was declared dead six minutes after reaching hospital and whose journey was delayed 12 minutes by a mechanical breakdown yesterday called on the government to swiftly replace the city's ageing ambulance fleet.

Tsui Kan-wo, 83, collapsed while exercising in Victoria Park, Causeway Bay. His friend, a 72-year-old woman, called police at 7.13am.

A fire engine was sent first, arriving at 7.16am, according to the Fire Services Department. 'The patient had no pulse and was not breathing when our officers arrived. Firemen used a defibrillator and cardiac massage on him,' a spokeswoman said.

A 10-year-old ambulance, which had returned to service a week ago after repairs, arrived at 7.22am - within the department's pledge of responding to a call within 12 minutes.

After the unconscious Tsui was placed in the ambulance, the engine would not restart, and its driver alerted the control centre at 7.34am. Another ambulance picked up Tsui at 7.46am and got him to Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai at 7.52am. He was declared dead at 7.58am.

The spokeswoman said the ambulance breakdown caused a 12-minute delay in getting Tsui to hospital. But she did not say whether the delay contributed to his death.

Tsui's god-daughter-in-law, surnamed Wong, said the elderly man, who had heart problems and high blood pressure, had been saved last year after collapsing in the same park and being sent to the same hospital.